The Demon's Shadow
by agsdragon
Summary: Naruto is running through a forest, fleeing from the murderous inhabitants of Konoha, until he is found by a certain someone and raised to become the nightmare of people everywhere.
1. Prologue:

The Demon's Shadow

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto… but I wish I did.

Summary: Naruto is running through a forest, fleeing from the murderous inhabitants of Konoha, until he is found by a certain someone and raised to become the nightmare of people everywhere.

It was October tenth. The fifth year anniversary of the attack of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, or the nine tailed demon, as well, it was the birthday of Uzumaki Naruto, the container for Kyuubi. Five years ago, the Yondaime hokage had sealed the demon inside the body of a kid from the local orphanage, born that morning. His mother had died in child birth and his father was unknown. The hokage had died on the sealing and it was his wish that Naruto be treated like a hero. Naruto's treatment had been quite the opposite; his entire life had been one beating after another, a life of begging, of hunger, a life of sadness.

Every year on this date, there was always a group of villagers who got smashed, and took Naruto's beating too far. They would cut him with broken glass, break his fingers or just thrash him until he stopped breathing, which did happen on occasion, but for some reason, none of his beatings left marks for than a week, his bones grew back within an hour or two. Cuts down to the bone would be covered with fresh skin in minutes. It was inexplicable.

On this present day, Naruto was fleeing the first round of drunks, to a recent spot he had discovered, training ground 42. He had discovered it a month ago; he had been fleeing a group of villagers, and had run into the fence enclosing the area. For someone as used to climbing walls and fences as Naruto it had been relatively simple to climb over the fence and drop into the forest that was within. He had never been followed there, not once. The forest was dangerous beyond belief for the average human and most shinobi, but for some reason, the fugitive had an aura which scared off all but the huge predators, which Naruto had exceeded in running away from, for the moment.

He climbed over the fence, just as usual, except this time he was being followed by a young man wearing a hita-ate with a leaf carved into it.

"I'll catch you! You-you bastard demon!" He yelled.

He was obviously piss drunk. He could barely climb, but Naruto was not one to test his luck, so he jumped into the forest, speeding from branch to branch at breakneck speeds. His pursuer was gaining on him, there was a severe gap in age and skill. A shuriken landed into the branch where Naruto had been standing, on of the spikes grazed his foot and he tripped. He plummeted towards the ground and landed with a sickening crack. Naruto screamed in agony, his leg was broken in several places as well as his nose which at an angle previously undiscovered. Naruto propelled himself with his hands, using all his upper body strength to drag his legs forward.

There was a thud.

Blood lazily began to flow onto the grass and sprayed into the dark night air.

Naruto's chest was covered in holes. Kunai littered the ground, all stained red with the juices of the 'demon'. Naruto's hand was pinned to the earth until something happened that he hadn't expected, a branch broke. He fell. Then, just as suddenly, he slammed into the trunk of a nearby tree, pinned there by shuriken. Naruto could feel deaths cold embrace. His lungs were punctured. His heart it self was intact, but his pulmonary artery had been destroyed. Blood was pouring out various holes. It would be a miracle if they could figure out his cause of death, asphyxiation, blood loss or cardiac arrest, that is if they found his corpse before it was eaten by animals.

Something in Naruto awakened.

Takashi Haru was feeling pretty high. He was drunk. He was having fun. And he had destroyed the demon, the demon who had stolen his father, mother and brother from him. He had thought revenge would feel good, but this felt great. The kid was dying, anyone could tell that, and no matter how quickly he could heal, in a minute or two he would be dead. He turned his back to Naruto to see if any of his drinking buddies had followed him. That was the last mistake he ever made.

Naruto rose from the ground, from the clutch of death. His wounds were healing, he had a new lungs; his severed blood vessels were joining together. He took a breath. Then he turned to the man who had done this to him, Kyuubi no Kitsune, lord of the demons.

Takashi was scared out of mind. The kid was standing up. The kid was breathing. The kid was healing. He watched as blood vessels healed, bones cracked into place. He even saw his punctured lungs, which had been spewing blood heal up. Then he saw the kid move. Then darkness.

A man was hiding in training ground 42, and had been for the last week. His target was the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure. Normally he would have declined such a mission, sure he was high jounin level, he could probably give one of the sanin a brief fight, but to fight against one of the most feared ninjas ever, that would be suicide. However, if his plan went as it should, then a fight would not be necessary, that did not in any way lower the risks by any means. One might wonder why such a person would take such a mission. The answer, ten million ryu. He thought that the job was out of his limits, but after a week's surveillance, there was a possibility.

Then he felt a huge amount of chakra coming his way. _Fuck. He had been discovered, the ANBU were on his trail. Shit. He had no time. This will have to do._

Naruto had come to and found the mutilated corpse of his foe. _What happened?_ He didn't wait to find out, he climbed the nearest tree and sped along, looking for his usual hiding spot.

There was a whoosh.

Then a thud.

The branch Naruto had been about to land on had been sliced by a shuriken. He fell for the second time in the night, before two kunai altered his course and anchored him to a nearby tree. A man whose face was wrapped in some sort of mask, they looked like bandages, but Naruto couldn't tell. There was a sword longer than his body placed at Naruto's neck.

"Who sent you kid?" He heard a voice growl.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, he was used to these situations, that said, he was still scared witless.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to tell, I am Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the hidden mist" The masked figure said. Then he brought his blade back and swung.

A/N: To be continued? I wrote this in an hour or two this afternoon, does anyone want me to continue? This was more an idea than the beginning of a story, if anyone would like me to continue please say and I will, otherwise… I might leave it as a one shot type thing.


	2. Prologue 2:

Demon's Shadow – Chapter 2

Momochi Zabuza had always had a tough life. But then again, when was life ever fair? Life was never a question of fair. Those who started out on top would usually stay on top. It was as simple as that. Then when someone new came along, that just meant one more rich person. Zabuza didn't start out on top. He never even got a chance; he tried to change his fate, something not even the Gods could do.

As a child, he was never happy. But he never should have been. If you looked careful enough, there was a pattern to life.

His days as the cute little boy were short. A creepy kid, he didn't see much of his parents. He was always left with the neighbour, and heard stories of their escapades. The hatred of them began to grow inside of him; it was always subtle, but ever present.

His parents were both killed when he was young, burnt to death. They were trapped in a store, top floor when the fire started. He remembered it vividly; it was his first happy memory.

They had told him to stand outside, wait while they looked around. It was a store selling old furniture, and they hadn't wanted him to touch anything. Next thing he knew there was smoke coming from the top of the building. Then screaming erupted from the building. People rushed out the door. And then he saw them, stuck at the top, on the roof. The flames engulfed them, and that was that.

It was ironic really. His parents had been killed by a fire in the land of the water. He laughed about it sometimes.

Life as an orphan in Mizu was tough. People there were different from other countries. There was no belief in helping those who were down on their luck. In fact, it was considered socially acceptable to beat or even to kill those hungry souls begging for food.

Who cared if some nobody went missing? That was the idea behind it. Zabuza had always been a target from a young age. Zabuza had never let this bother him. After a couple of years on the streets, he learned how to take care of himself in a fist fight with a bunch of drunks.

There was something more to him than what met the eye.

He was the son of two famous killers. Before the present government in charge of Mizu, there had been an oppressive regime, killing and plundering the land. The tyrant ruled by using bloodlines. He saw the immense power of them, and immediately recruited every main clan with a kekai genkai to his cause.

Then there had been a rebellion. All of the main clans abandoned him, or destroyed, often in public, and he was soon overthrown and killed. Zabuza's parents happened to be supporters of this regime. They both belonged to the small Momochi clan, although neither had a bloodline they followed their clan. They were both strong shinobi, dutifully carrying out every mission assigned to them.

Their missions were usually easy. Take out person X who had been causing a racket about how bad the leader was. Brutally beat person Y because they had attacked a bloodline user. Needless to say, they earned a name for themselves among the locals.

Then the clan was eradicated, leaving them and their new born son.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Kubikiri Hōchō moved through the air like so many times before. Then, just as suddenly, it was stopped. It had required all of Zabuza's strength to stop it so close to impact, but the purpose had been achieved.

The scrawny kid was still stuck fast to the slid oak tree, but strangely, there was no fear in his eyes, only a sad sort of acceptance.

"Hey kid"

No reply. There was cracking noise, as fist connected with bone. Naruto fell from the tree.

"I said-"

"I heard you the first time!" Was heard from Naruto, he sounded angry.

"Haha! Are you actually angry?" Zabuza chuckled to himself

"What's a stupid, annoying, little kid like you going to do to me?" He continued.

"If you're going to kill me just do it!" Naruto roared. He hated being made fun of, even though, it was true that his life was a joke; it sure as hell wasn't funny.

"That's no kind of attitude"

"Just kill me"

"Why? Why should I kill you? Why should I, waste a few seconds of my valuable time just to take care of a scrawny brat like you?"

"Because…" Naruto's voice trailed off.

"Because what?"

"Because, because I want to die!" He shouted, tears slowly falling from his eyes.

"Haha! You remind me of a kid I once knew! But what I'm really dying to know" He began to laugh at his own joke, "is, why in fucking hell do you want to die?"

"Because I don't want to keep living!"

"That's not a very good reason"

"You just, you don't understand!" Naruto replied, calmer, quieter, more subdued than before.

Zabuza was intrigued now. This kid was genuinely interesting. He laughed, softly.

"You know kid, that's the first time I've been told I wouldn't understand by a kid who hasn't left Pre School"

"STOP MOCKING ME!" Naruto yelled, running blindly at Zabuza. He was thrown back onto the floor, and in took a minute for him to get back up.

"So tell me, why, honestly, why do you want to die?"

"You don't know what it's like; being an outcast, a punch bag for drunks, wandering the streets looking for food, knowing all you'll get is a beating from the shop keeper"

"I think you would be surprised"

"Sure. Like you have any idea about what I'm talking about"

"Not personally, but a friend of mine…"

"Unless you have experienced it first hand you don't, no, you can't know what it feels like to-"

"I will tell you this once, start judging me again, and I will make death seem like heaven on Earth. You know nothing about me. You just assume my lie has been simple, but-"

"You don't know what it feels like-"

"What what feels like? Just tell me!"

"What it feels like to feel nothing. To not care what happens everyday. To not have a purpose, a goal, an aim, anything. You just can't understand!" Naruto was now crying, after all, for all his maturity, he was only 5.

Zabuza, was not normal. He was as far away from it as can be. What he saw in Naruto was something different than everyone else. He wasn't some orphan or beggar, but potential. Raw potential.

Zabuza was getting old, 26 or so, which in his line of work was a lot older than anyone else. The average age of a shinobi is around 21, 22. For a missing nin, it is four years on the run for D, C and B class nins. For A class, that dropped to around between a year and six months. For S class, there was no average, seeing as most could not be killed, and there were so few to begin with, that to make an average would have been pointless.

As said, Zabuza was getting older, and he needed someone. Someone whom he could trust in this world of liars and cheats. Someone he could put his faith in for everything he couldn't do, and have his belief rewarded. He needed someone with the loyalty of the dog.

And that was what he saw in Naruto. Raw potential, that could sculpt and refined into a piece of art. After all, Zabuza was an artist and a perfectionist.

"Hey kid"

"What do you want"

"Come with me"

"Where? How? Why?"

"I'm lonely. I want some company, and does it really matter to you where we go?"

"You want me to leave my home-"

"You mean this shit hole?"

"Yeah" The more Naruto thought about it, the better it seemed. It would be a fresh start. A clean canvas.

"So kid, what do you say?"

"Ok… I'm in!"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A/N: here ends the second chapter. Sorry for the long wait. I'll try and update sooner next time. Anyone interested in editing, let me know in a review. Speaking of which, if you are reading this story, please leave a review, pointing out any obvious plot errors, spelling mistakes, or whether this is a piece of shit story. I just like to know.


	3. A New Naruto?

Demon's Shadow – Chapter 3

Demon's Shadow – Chapter 3

At the age of four, Momochi Zabuza made his first kill. It was an awkward sensation; it gave him an odd sense of joy. It was weird. There was the man, neck broken, his head lying at an odd angle. And there was him, a four year toddler standing in his shadow. He found the experience rather pleasing. This was before his parents died. They didn't care. They had never cared for him. They had made him into a machine, a machine fuelled by blood. They had destroyed his emotions, and that was something he could never get back.

There was really one event that changed his life. It seemed so silly now, but at the time it had been the only way to satisfy his hunger for blood was to kill, an urge he could now contain. Just. He knew all about the graduation ceremony at the academy. He had been banned. They deemed him a health risk; they got one right, just too late. He had walked into that arena, and was astonished by the evil men could do. There were brothers fighting each other to death, while crying their soul out. Best friends who were only to be reunited in heaven. He was stunned.

There was blood everywhere. Corpses littered the floor. Weapons were scattered, the arena was destroyed. And in the midst of all this was a child, no older than ten, sitting there, on the blood mixed with dirt. Laughing. His lips stretched wide in a demented grin.

It was disgusting. Of course after that he had to leave. People didn't want him there. They tried to kill him, and he ran, and ran. He didn't stop, just kept running. Eventually he reached the border of the land of the water. He found, or rather stumbled into, the most dangerous hideout in the world.

The headquarters of the seven swordsman of the mist was supposed to be the most secret place in the world. Lo and behold, they were astonished when a kid stumbled in. Then when that kid killed a couple of guards, nobody too good, but one would expect them to deal with a child, they were more than astonished. So surprised that they forgot to get mad. They saw what he sees in Naruto. Potential.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Naruto walked with Zabuza. They had been walking for days. Stopping only at night for sleep. Naruto was older now. Eight years had passed since he had left Konoha and he had changed. He was taller now, much taller. He wore black. Black everything. This included a face mask, the kind that you would expect to find in an ancient Greek theatre, but the major addition was the weaponry. The only visible weapons appeared to be strapped to his back, two swords, their sheaths made of a simple metal painted black.

Zabuza walked alongside him. Age had done terrible damage to his features, but so had Naruto. He didn't treat the kid so badly after a couple of years, because that would have meant instant death. The kid had progressed quicker than he had expected, but when someone possesses that kind of power there isn't much you can do to stop their development.

"Zabuza-san, who is our target today?" Naruto asked

"A man, a bridge builder, by the name of Tazuna"

"And why must we kill him?"

"Because we are paid to. That is our job. Must you ask this every time?"

"Is money so important?"

"Of course it is. Too me, at least. You know what my goal is-"

"Why must we kill him?"

"Huh?

"Why must we kill him?"

"I told you. It is our-"

"Don't give me that. I'm not stupid"

"Because I need the money"

"And. Is this man guilty?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask"

"What if-"

"Quiet!"

Naruto was silent. Nobody was fooled. You could see the frustration building up. Zabuza sighed. That kid was never a born killer. He had too many emotions, he questioned everything. Hopefully he would make his first kill this mission. Hopefully.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

They set up near the bridge in the outlying shrubs. One of Naruto's strongest points was his stealth. He was a great assassin, but then again he had been taught by Momochi Zabuza, one of the greatest ever.

"Naruto" He whispered.

"Yes" Came the response. He was almost invisible, in every sense possible. That was what made him great. He could hide his sent. Hide his chakra. Muffle his breathing. Camouflage his body, using the most simple of jutsus. Then he would sneak up upon his prey. Once with a hundred metres, against a weak opponent, they would die. He would throw, a blade of some sort, with pinpoint accuracy. Then death came upon them. Of course, this was all a theory, but Zabuza was positive it was right.

"Target is coming up on the left" Zabuza whispered.

"I see him. He is accompanied by three. Two of them are kids. One of them, your old pal"

"Who?"

"The Copy cat"

"Kakashi. You old bastard. Haha…." Zabuza chuckled to himself. "Naruto, you stay here. I can take care of him, we need to catch up. Anyways, you know the plan if things go wrong."

"Yep."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Naruto watched from afar. He smiled. Zabuza always was one for the grand entrances. The mist swirled in from all sides. Kakashi wouldn't fall for this cheap trick, but it would scare the kids. He could see them shaking in fear, he couldn't make out the words, but Zabuza was doing a pretty good job of frightening the kids.

Naruto watched on with interest as Zabuza slowly began to beat Kakashi back, who arrogantly refused the help of his students. He didn't understand why he didn't use them. Surely, if he could use them as tools to win, then they should be used. If one was damaged, then it would be unfortunate, but that was life. Some things would never make sense.

Slowly, however, Kakashi seemed to be beating Zabuza back, his one sharingan, too much for Zabuza to handle. Naruto knew this was a chance to strike, but stayed put, knowing that Zabuza would only call in his help when needed.

He could tell from the flow of chakra and the emotions of the combatants that Zabuza was tiring, being driven back; his jutsus were copied, sometimes before he could finish them. As well, the kids who had been so afraid of him before were regaining their confidence, now they were calm, their heart beating at a steady rate, a little above the normal, but nowhere near where it had been before.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Kakashi was tiring, using the Sharingan required a lot of energy for an Uchiha, but for one outside of the clan, the strain was unbelievable. Even though Kakashi knew more about the eye than most of the Uchiha, this was one mountain he could avoid. He knew that if the fight was to go on much longer, he would tire, and most probably collapse, leaving his students to deal with Zabuza.

The Sharingan wields unimaginable power, giving those who control it, a huge advantage from the rest of the shinobi world. Its power has never truly been unlocked, with many achieving new stages in its development. Hatake Kakashi was one of these people, someone who could unlock a new technique, and someone, who in fact had almost done so. But, at this present moment, he was using it to concentrate on Zabuza's movements, and to mimic every single one.

Their hearts beat in time, their tongues moved inside their jaws with the same course, and their bodies reacted identically, with each move of the hand, or the slight move of a leg copied.

It was then that Zabuza made a fatal mistake. He stopped and waited for Kakashi to make a move. Kakashi knew his reactions all too well, and struck, a near fatal blow.

"It's over" He whispered.

That was when Naruto struck.

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to update, but my sister was in a serious car crash, and I have had to take care of her. I hope to update soon, keep reviewing. As well, point out any mistakes etc etc.

Agsdragon.


End file.
